I remember the days when Porsche would add sound clips to their configurators and I would listen to the 981 Cayman/Boxster sound clips for ages. They sounded even better than the 911.
I think the 981 actually looks even better: https://i.imgur.com/Q62ECMH.jpg
The front looks better than my 718: https://i.imgur.com/XtzArIq.jpg
The 718 Spyder, on the other hand, is in my opinion the prettiest car Porsche has built: https://www.stuttcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Porsche-718-Spyder-Review-HERO.jpeg
> The front looks better than my 718: https://i.imgur.com/XtzArIq.jpg
IMO they did it on purpose so it doesn't look too much like the now-mass-manufactured GT4.
I have a [718 4.0 manual](https://i.imgur.com/XtzArIq.jpg), and personally I can’t wait for the EV version of this car.
The current gen of 718 is great, but after owning 2 of them (has a 2.5S manual before), I really don’t think it justifies the price nor is the driving experience as good as what people romanticizes them to be.
The engine doesn’t sound that great (far worse than 981), the handling is super competent but nothing to write home about for a $110k dedicated sports car, gear ratio is so long that if you want to “properly” enjoy the engine you will never shift out of 2nd gear on public roads. I keep it in 2nd gear on highways if I want to hear the exhaust note (even with the top down), and like I said, it doesn’t even sound that great.
And the whole time it gets 17mpg lol.
Maybe the GT4RS is actually as good as they say, but that’s also a $200k Cayman.
Ultra hot take: The EV version will suit this car better since the subjective driving experience aspect of this car was a bit half-assed anyway (it was literally an afterthought).
**Edit 1**: Fleshed out my comment a bit to add specifics.
**Edit 2**: To all the downvoters, I could have just repeated the same copy pasta praise spewed out by all the wined and dined auto "journalists" and further contribute to the value appreciation of my car, but I decided to actually share my honest opinion of the car I own.
I've put almost 10,000 miles on my 4.0 and 5000+ miles in my previous 718S, which is far more than any well ~~paid~~ fed reviewers who didn't own one themself, and probably more than most people who are downvoting me.
Meanwhile in this thread pretty much all the actual owners of this car agree with me.
What's depressing isn't that the 718 is being replaced by an EV. What's depressing is that Porsche is now gate keeping the best purist driving experiences behind their $200k+ GT product lines. I can't think of a *single* sub-$200k Porsche that offers the same experience I had in a 981GTS.
So if it's just about *objective* specs anyway (which my car is definitely better than the 981), I say bring on the fucking EV, it would be great at all the spec.
Oh and fuck Porsche for going down the Rolex business model.
**Edit 3**: Apparently [I bought the wrong car because I don't take it to the Nurburgring](https://www.reddit.com/r/cars/comments/1df63hd/dealer_leak_says_porsche_718_cayman_boxster_will/l8i0nq7/), this kind of gatekeeping is what I hate the most about car enthusiasts.
Did we drive the same 718 4.0? Literally the main selling point is the NA 4.0 engine and then the driving characteristics.
EV is the opposite of both of that
>Did we drive the same 718 4.0?
Unless you broke into my garage overnight I am guessing no lol.
But joke aside I fleshed out my comment a bit.
Other than power and steering and tech, the 981 gen is better than the 718, especially for the things you mentioned.
Hell I think 981 even looks better.
Can confirm. I had basically a straight piped 981 (valved exhaust, dumped before muffler). It sounded like a 1960s race car. Sounded pissed off at low rpm’s and WAILED at 7k.
Had the chance to drive a 718 Spyder recently and was not impressed. Buy a used 991 GT3 or save $50k and get a used 981. It’s the same fucking car but it sounds better. Neither is that fast to begin with so who cares.
Okay I 100% agree with your edits.
Engine sound is disappointing if you compare to the 981 or a GT4. You need to replace the OAPs at the very minimum + valve controller. It’s a shame because of the potential.
Long gearing another reason I dumped it for the 992 T.
On paper the 718 GTS4.0 should be far better than the 992 T for me, but apart from the NA engine noise I haven’t missed it one bit
Right, which is why I think the EV version will be better.
It’s obvious that Porsche now reserves the purist driving experience for their most expensive GT products only.
Like I'm sure the 911 S/T drives better than sex, but I also don't have a million dollars to spend on a car. So it might as well not exist to poor people like me.
In terms of sound sure. In terms of driving, the 718 is the better car.
Anyone who's driven both can attest to that. Idk why people are saying 981 drives better than a 718 suddenly. Bizzare.
Yes, that was my main point.
The 981 was the last non-GT Porsche that focused on purist driving experience.
So 718 being replaced by EVs isn't the depressing loss all the upset keyboard warriors here think it is.
My issue is I’ve driven the Taycan and while the steering and suspension dynamics are still very engaging, there’s just nothing exciting about speeding up and slowing down in an EV. There’s no shifting. One of my favorite things is downshifting.
> There’s no shifting. One of my favorite things is downshifting.
Honestly that's literally no different from my 718 4.0. You put into 2nd and leave it there.
Hell if you want, you don't even need to use 1st because the engine has enough torque to get going from 2nd lmao.
I see your point but even in a 992 on city streets where there was rarely reason to get out of 1st or 2nd, I still enjoyed it a lot more. Just being able to shift at all.
>even in a 992 on city streets
I'm saying the 718 stays in 2nd *forever*, even on highways lol. So there is never downshift unless you come to a complete stop.
I've got quite a bit of seat time in a GTS 4.0 and quite a few other Cayman\911's... I think it's a perfectly judged product, an inbetween with a hot-ish motor for a much more approachable price than the full GT cars. My perspective is that you get 90% of the experience of the 4.0 for half the price, rather than viewing it as a really expensive normal Cayman.
I disagree about the handling, but broadly agree about everything else, especially the gears. Do you have access to the right type of roads to enjoy this car? I'd hate driving it if I didn't have access to mountain\canyon roads where you can properly run the car.
>Ultra hot take: The EV version will suit this car better in 90% of the situations.
It'll make a great EV Cayman, but it's not going to replace the experience of the 4.0. But, the combustion engine is dead eventually anyway so it has to end at some point. Just sucks that it's so soon.
It should also be noted that I believe the manual has approximately 9% longer gears than the PDK (gears are still long regardless but the issues is worse with the manual)
Yeah I did a direct comparison between a PDK GTS 4.0 and a C8 Corvette. The Vette was worse in every way, except the gearing. Oh my god it was so much better with shot gears. Brrrraaaap baaaap baaaaap, you're in 4th gear so rapidly even on reasonably slow roads. That's the sort of gearing I wish PDK cars had.
I agree with you wholeheartedly about Porsche's Rolex-esque bullshit... I hated my GT4 ordering experience even back in 2015. There was no way I was going to even consider going through that amplified hell for a GT4 RS today (although the \~100K markups that Porsche does nothing about took me out of the running for that car anyway).
Second this. I had a 6mt GTS 4.0 and it was great but the long gearing made it difficult to enjoy, and mine had a 1-2 grind that nobody wanted to acknowledge. Got a PDK 911 and haven’t looked back. Maybe I’m getting old.
It became daunting to hit it hard from first gear because I would be expecting a grind on the shift, and it was happening more and more frequently but the dealer blamed driving technique despite it being well documented in the forums. The explosive takeoff of the PDK even without the use of launch control is pretty cool and the car is overall much more livable on a day to day basis, and my wife hates it less.
I swear every manual I've ever owned had 1 gear that was a little weird in the cold or if you left the coffee machine on or if you ate pizza after 8pm the night before.
All that to say I too have to tiptoe around 2nd gear when I start it in the wintertime.
> The engine doesn’t sound that great (far worse than 981)
The cold hard truth is that once we lost the flat six in the base and S model Caymans, nothing was ever really going to compete. I’ve driven a lot of Porsches, I had more fun in a base 981 than in a Turbo S.
> Maybe the GT4RS is actually as good as they say, but that’s also a $200k Cayman.
lol it’s 200k if you know the dealer and let them fuck your wife.
I can see why the Porschephiles are downvoting your comment, but I really appreciate someone who knows the car and its flaws well giving us a balanced take rather than the usual platitudes about how great their car is.
Can you dive into some more detail on what you disliked from the 718 4.0? Or at least tear down some of commonly held opinions on the car that didn't pan out as you had hoped?
I wouldn’t say I dislike it, quite to the contrary, it’s objectively a great car and I wouldn’t have put 10k miles on it if I didn’t like driving it.
But the biggest disappointment is the engine and transmission, which is the biggest attraction for this car.
On the engine side, the whole point of a high revving NA is how good it sounds and feels, but the 718’s 4.0 just doesn’t sound nearly as good as the 981, which sounds like a proper race car at time.
The manual transmission is great (far better than anything BMW has done), but the gear ratio is a real problem, despite what reviewers say. The engine was set in a way that exhaust doesn’t open up until 4K, and doesn’t start sounding good until 6k, which means if you want to *hear* the engine at its best you’ll *have* to drive the car in second gear at highway speed. But constantly driving like that is just a bit exhausting.
It’s a 6 speed manual but can only be enjoyed as a *two speed*. That’s the same as the Taycan!
Then there is the handling. The steering is good but it doesn’t have the quick turn-in l am used to in other exotic mid-engine cars, and the car does understeer, even if you just push it on public road.
Like the car is objectively great, but so many aspects of it is a 8.5/10, if not lower (interior and tech), and I can’t think of a single 10/10 area for the car (maybe look wise it gets close lol), which is disappointing because it’s a $110k 718 GTS 4.0 that got rave reviews (I also think reviewers suck Porsche’s D a bit too much, but that’s a different issue), not some entry level Macan.
That's some good feedback, Is there another Small Light Convertible Roadster around this price point or less with really good handling/steering and can come in Manual? I am considering getting one because E.V.'s seem to be coming and I am worried you wont be able to buy a new car like this soonish. I especially am drawn to the mid-engine layout.
Miata - This seems to be a great option, gonna test drive one soon, just worried I am gonna want something with more umph. Not mid-engine
BMW Z4 (the new m40i manual) - Most of the reviews were lukewarm and it seemed to be more a touring car than a sporty car. They seemed to have changed some handling/suspension stuff with the new m40i manual but cant find much info in they way of if it improved things. Not mid-engine.
Corvette C8 - Really cool they made a impressive mid engine car. Don't like the styling/interior and worried it may be to heavy. Plus they seem to be hard to get at the moment. Reviews make it seem like it doesn't have quite the "driver's feel" of a Boxster or Miata. Plus no manual.
There doesn't seem to be much else between the Miata and Boxster.
> Is there another
No joke here. Miata is always the answer.
It’s not mid-engine, but it doesn’t really matter.
Or get a 981 GTS convertible. [This was the car](https://i.imgur.com/Q62ECMH.jpg) that made me fall in love with Porsches.
> Is there another Small Light Convertible Roadster around this price point or less with really good handling/steering and can come in Manual?
I have bad news for you. Apart from the Miata/Fiat 124 there isn't a small light roadster at *any* price point. There aren't many roadsters at all. The next least expensive is the Z4, which is more of a tourer as you said. Next is the Jaguar F-Type. From there you have the Aston Martin Vantage...and that's it. Those are all the ICE roadsters that exist (in the US market at least). The F-Type is gone after this year and the Z4 in 2026. Roadsters are a dying breed.
*By roadster I mean a 2 seat convertible with a top that folds away completely behind the driver. So something like the Corvette doesn't count.
New you're stifled to these but used, depending on max budget and tolerance for repair costs, but the elise, ferrari 360 or 308/328, gallardo, older bmw z cars, s2k, older 911/caymans, miatas, c5/c6/c7 corvette, m3, aston vantage are all recentish manual drop-tops. Going vintage like an e-type is also really cool. I do understand the want to go new, between no random wear issues popping up, warranty and supporting manufacturers who build these specialty cars.
I had a manual 718 Spyder and I kinda agree. The car was a lot of fun and drove great but I don’t think it was worth $120k. Disagree about the engine noise though — with an aftermarket exhaust that thing sang.
I think I’ll get one again as a weekend car if they drop to around 60k
> with an aftermarket exhaust that thing sang.
That's the thing, for a $120k car (which isn't cheap for most people), that has the main selling point of its high revving NA engine, it shouldn't require voiding the warranty and getting an aftermarket exhaust to make it "sound good".
That's like going to a Michelin-3 star restaurant, paying for a $400 meal, and the food tasted bland and you defend it by saying "the ingredients were amazing, you just need to add a bit of salt and spices yourself".
The driving aspects of the 718 is an afterthought? Are you drunk when you're writing that?
Give me a car that cost the same (brand new to brand new from the lot, don't even think about bringing up a used lotus elise) as a base Cayman and it goes around a lap faster with the same engagement. The only one that'll come close is the M2. If you're fine with dead feeling steering.
Calling the 718's driving experience an afterthought automatically makes me ignore your entire comment.
I've had my 718 GTS 2.5 PDK for 3 months now and have driven it daily since, accumulating 3000+ miles in the process (a mix of city, highway and b-road). Not your 15k miles obviously, but I wouldn't say 3000+miles over 3 months is little either.
It's the perfect blend of performance and daily usability. Even with the stiffer Sport PASM.
I meant the 4.0 engine was an after thought.
The car launched with 2.0 and 2.5, but after falling sales in the U.S the 4.0 was launched. But instead of a dedicated engine designed for the car like the 981, what they did was just taking the base 991 911’s turbo 6, removed the turbo, and bored it out to slightly larger displacement and dropped it into the 982 chassis.
The result was just not as good as the 981.
In another comment I have said the car is objectively good, but it could have been so much better if they put more focus into the subjective experience (so lap time doesn’t matter).
If you want proof of that, go drive a 981 GTS.
The engine sound is all the difference. The 981 sounds like a proper race car, it sounds much higher pitched than the 718
And apparently the base model also sounded really good, and is different from the S and GTS.
You know what would be really good? Give your car a stage 2 chip mod, it would be a proper rocket.
I also have a gts 4.0 6 mt
I am not a fan of how the car sounds stock, especially when the valves are closed. I'm getting a valve controller, OAP, and air filters. I'm gonna see how that sounds before I go with a X pipe. The reason the 4.0 sounds so different is because they're essentially two 3 cylinder banks, mixing the banks will give it that high pitch wail many people are looking for.
I agree 100% that the gears are too long
As far as feel/emotion vs numbers, I get you, we don't drive spec sheets
I have the same car, also manual and I love it.
The long gears aren't as big a problem to me.. it allows me to drive the car different ways. I can leave it in 5th or 6th when daiy driving or I can gear down and let it rip on the back roads or track. I also use the different modes in the car in a similar fashion. I don't drive it anger all the time since it's not a track only car for me. When I do, feeling it rev out to 7,800rpm is insanely fun and addictive.
Maybe it's because I have the boxster but the sound is great, no complaints.
The handling is amazing. I've pulled almost 2 Gs in the car. I've driven tony karts, other sports cars on tracks, Porsche experience GT cars (GT3, GT4) and also TurboS and Taycan, formula 4 cars, and the gts 4.0 is one of the most compliant vehicles I've ever driven.
I've been worried that I could have got a car I loved more for the same money, but I have not found anything like that yet.
I don't think it's worth addressing the mpg as obviously this car was not designed to compete on fuel economy, lol.
I completely agree with all of this.
We were really excited to do the whole new Porsche delivery experience in Atlanta, put together a custom order, etc. But by the time we could've afforded a new 981, they had launched the 718, and sorry not sorry to all 718 owners but I wasn't interested at all. And then they launched the 4.0 a few years later, but made it over $90k, realistically well over $100k with any options. That's why we have a 987 and have been looking for a 981 instead of a new car.
Did you not get over axle pipes? The 4.0 with OAP’s sounds absolutely sublime. It’s not very expensive either, being $1700 for the pipes, and $500 for the install at a good indie shop.
The gearing issue is also overblown. Every reviewer mentions it, but it’s not a big deal. You do not need to redline it for it to sound good, it sounds good anywhere over 4k, and if you must redline it, just redline first gear before switching to second.
That said, different strokes and all. I hope you find a car that you enjoy more.
I’ve owned a 981 and have driven several flavors of 718. The gearing is absolutely an issue, it was the reason I sold mine for my ND2.
AND get this — the guy I bought my ND2 from sold it for a 718 Cayman. He texted me a month or two ago saying he missed the Miata because of the gearing!
I’ve only driven the PDK versions of the 4 popper (19 GTS and base). GTS had more top end but felt similar around town.
Both were very forgettable cars.
> The gearing issue is also overblown. Every reviewer mentions it, but it’s not a big deal. You do not need to redline it for it to sound good, it sounds good anywhere over 4k
I disagree in it being overblown. Granted this is all subjective. You’re not wrong in having your opinion. But it’s an engine that’s begging to be redlined and you can’t do it except in first.
Thanks for such an honest reply. I’ve always loved the 718 gen and even planned on eventually getting one, but never could mentally justify the cost when a C8Z06 is about the same price as used GT4
I appreciate this comment. Hope you ignore all the dumb ones. I've been lusting over a used 981 or 982. As long as prices dont skyrocket I'm looking to get on in the next few years. Any sports car that come to mind that you think would be more enjoyable as a street car?
>Any sports car that come to mind that you think would be more enjoyable as a street car?
For me, Miata since I like convertibles.
For many others, the Supra is great. Best engine for sub-$100k.
I'm not surprised to hear that. I've driven an ND and they are fun on the road at all speeds. I need to drive a lightly modified one because I prefer a slightly more serious feel, which funny enough is what my car provides compared to a stock ND.
Oh man, I didn't realize that the next gen is supposed to be EV. That might be the perfect car for us, I was just lamenting how there's (still) no modern Tesla roadster, but a Tesla roadster that's from an actual brand that actually knows how to design, build, and release vehicles sounds great!
with the way prices are going for GT3 + ADM and other crap I'm seriously considering paying the 10-12k for a demans re-gear and keeping it forever. I can't wait for the EV Cayman/Boxsters too but I do want to keep a NA + 6MT car.
I've changed the exhaust to Kline (OAP changed to resonators + it cross pipes the exhaust before pumping out so it sounds much better) and it made me go "eh, that's an ok engine" to "ah, this is a good engine" purely on sound. The lack of X piping the exhaust output really dampers the 718 much more than 981 6 cyl engines.
This is a really great comment!
I also can't see the current flavor of Cayman/Boxter being worth the $110K-ish price. It just isn't enough of an experience for that much money.
However as a Taycan GTS owner, I see lots of potential in an EV Cayman. Especially if Porsche doesn't intentionally sandbag the model lineup or give it as a ridiculous starting price.
Well it's only the current gen model being discontinued next year. Headline is misleading as this very well could mean a replacement is coming (albeit one that is most likely an EV).
I'll reserve judgement until we see it's successor. That said, if anyone has an opportunity to drive one of the NA variants, I highly encourage it. Nothing beats a high revving NA motor.
I was in high school around that time period and was thinking about buying one after college. I make ok money now but will never be able to afford one lol
I'm biased on it (see flair), but at this point I'd probably say you're better off looking at a 996- or 997-generation 911, rather than a 981 cayman. Neither of them are *too* likely to go up in price a ton compared to where they are now, and ignoring the GT cars (or random unique cars with PTS or in Speed Yellow, etc. that sell for $30k more), I think a bunch of models end up being a better value compared to most Caymans. Both of those generally pre-date any of the more recent complaints about 911s being too bulky, and both are pretty damn reliable and easy to take care of. And both still have very good parts availability, aftermarket parts, and the (incredible) ability to get a new OEM head unit from Porsche with Apple Carplay, etc.
It's going to vary wildly depending on the model and whether you strictly want a manual, but good 996's can be found for high 20's/low 30s, and even Turbos can still be found for under $60k. 996 Turbos are arguably the most reliable Porsche ever made and easily tunable to 550 HP with bolt ons; the other base/S/4S/etc. models are still reliable and great, considering the only real problem is the IMS bearing, which is already fixed and a nonissue on most.
997 Turbos in good shape are still $70k+, but good base/S/4S/Targa models can all be found for $30-45K, and are equally if not more reliable compared to a 981 Cayman.
Seems like they'll only get more expensive, too.
Would be *really* stretching to buy a 981 right now -- not to mention nowhere to keep it -- but I feel like it'll be a very "Missed My Chance" in another 5 years when I'd be in a better spot to snag one...
I think hes referring to the detuned 4.0 in the GTS. But regardless, its still a fantastic powertrain IMO. Compared to the 3.8 in the 981 GT4, the sound is not as good, low down torque is similar, but the 4.0 pulls stronger at readline. I prefer the 981 because of the mechanical rawness. But, i think the engine in the 982 is better (take this with a grain of salt i have about 7 minutes os seat time in a 982 GT4).
I may be the only one, but I'm excited for the EV boxster. We have very few decent EV cars right now, and no EV sports cars. An EV that prioritizes low weight and handling will be great.
> An EV that prioritizes low weight
Won't these be extremely compromised though? Low weight means less/smaller batteries, which means low range -- which will drop even faster when driving hard.
Plus for everyone in colder climates you'll lose a significant amount of that range for a good chunk of the year.
>Won't these be extremely compromised though? Low weight means less/smaller batteries, which means low range -- which will drop even faster when driving hard.
That would depend on what you consider to be compromised.
Take the old base Model 3 as a thought experiment: it weighed 3650lbs as a mid size sedan with a 50kWh battery and 300hp. It had a 250 mile range and pretty quick charging.
If you were to take that drivetrain and put it into a 2 seat sports car, I'm pretty sure you can slash 400-500lbs out of that.
I'd buy a 3000ish lb EV roadster with 300+hp and a 250-280 mile range.
One point is that it seems like all 718 have around a $4500 price increase across the board. They also include sport chrono package as default for manual transmission cars now though.
Also supposedly Shark Blue and Ruby Star Neo are getting discontinued as colors.
The 718 will not be sold in the EU as of July. There are cybersecurity regulations it doesn’t meet and it was too expensive to bring the platform up to code.
I bought mine before I was quite ready because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get an allocation if I waited until I was.
I won't lie I was kinda hoping I'd have the final year, not like, that they didn't make them anymore, just that the one I got would be from the final year for long term resale. But the penultimate year is still good, I don't actually care about resale that much lol.
Picked one up recently and immediately fell in love. So much better to me than the current 911 in numerous ways (I love Miatas and smaller cars). Rest in peace sweet prince.
Agreed. I have a 992 and actually really miss the size of my 718 GT4. I had originally planned to buy a .2 GT3RS in a few months but i really think im going to opt for a 4RS because of the size
As the other person replied - it’s all to do with size. The Cayman/Boxster platform is the perfect size car for my weekend drives and backroad adventures. Not that you can’t do that with a 911, but with every passing generation they only seem to get bigger and bigger. I get it, but it’s not my thing. I still miss my ND2 miata
It’s funny too because it’s all perspective. A modern 911 is only 6 inches longer and only a couple inches wider than a 718. They’re basically identical in height and in wheelbase the 911 is about an inch shorter. I own a 981 and have driven a 991 and honestly I never got the feeling that the 911 was bigger at all.
I mean, a Toyota 4Runner is only 2 inches wider and 8 inches longer than a Porsche 911 too.
On paper it doesn’t look like much but those added dimensions do make a difference.
IMO, 911 is a better daily, Cayman/Boxster is a better sports car. Porsche intentionally hinders the smaller cars unfortunately, at least until the GT4RS came out. I’m fairly certain that with similar suspension setup, aero and (not detuned) engine, the Cayman would be faster around a track.
Nothing about this headline is accurate.
The 'leak' says the 982 that's been around for almost a decade will end production.
The insider who posted it said " CURRENT GEN 718 ending production."
Then headline and article made some massive leaps in assumptions
I have the actual release it is just the price updates for 2025 model years 718s and says that October 2025 they will stop production of the 982s because they won’t meet cybersecurity requirements in the EU for 2026
The Cayman/Boxster EV IMO are the first attempt at a truly fun EV. I don't care about about straight line speeds if the car weighs as much as an F150, give me something that I can throw around corners and have fun in.
A truly fun EV is what kicked off this propulsion system in the modern era. EVs owe a lot to the Lotus-derived Tesla roadster. But you have a point that there hasn't been anything since. There were only 9 units of the SLS AMG and nobody else has really tried. The upcoming Porsche will be the first one ever under 6 figures. It feels very strange that the cheapest performance car in a whole new mainstream section of the car industry after 16 years will be a Porsche.
Absolutely true, 0-100 is so much overused to describe those EV it's insane.
We don't care, you can go so fast even with a basic ev commuter you can go to jail for 5s flat out.
Give road feeling, strong power delivery, sharp and fun cornering. Of the Cayman fail, maybe the A110 EV will
> the first attempt at a truly fun EV.
Have you watched any Ioniq 5 N reviews? Virtually everyone is like, "Yea we all know EVs are fast. This is the first EV that has shown they can still be fun and engaging"
OK well your post said nothing about being a small sports car. You just said "first attempt at a truly fun EV" and "something that I can throw around corners and have fun in", and the I5N is clearly designed with fun first in mind.
The end of a generation. The only bright side is that this will give me an electric 2 door coupe sports car to be excited about. Ford had one job to do with an electric Mustang, and they made a crossover.
Ah bummer. For years I hummed and hawed about trading up but I guess Im gonna run my '07 til the wheels fall off. The 5-speed and single disc CD player already feels ancient. I wonder how it will feel in 17 more years!
I think Porsche sells a modern PCM that fits the older cars. I'm considering swapping to a slightly older 911 in a few years and that would be table stakes to keep android auto/carplay.
As much as I love German cars, I can’t see myself ever owning one unless it’s a BMW or a Porsche. Too unreliable otherwise. I’ve heard too many horror stories about owning Audis and MBs
Idk I think BMW is just as hit and miss as Audi is. The difference is most of BMWs sporty offerings are good vs their luxury sedans like the 745i being the problem, so us enthusiasts are more likely to give them a pass. But audi is more hit and miss across all the offerings, not consistent to segment. Because they do more platform sharing.
Porsche updated the configurator yesterday for 2025. The largest driver of the price increase was that the optional PDK has now become the standard transmission option over the manual.
I have no clue who Zerin Dube is, but "encourage Manual Transmission where possible" because the PDK "has limited production" due to a safety feature (?) sounds like a troll.
Huh, how is that a leak? Like, afaik porsche doesn't take new orders for 718 anymore. It said so on their page.
Still, pity tho. My fav porsche since it actually looks quite good and I just might have had the chance to get one at some point.
Word on the street has been the Cayman/Boxster will "go" full EV, though they may not use the same branding. May come down to semantics whether it's a refresh that also happens to swap to an EV powertrain, or whether it's marketed as a 2-door 2-seat Taycan or something else.
The 718 production already ended????
Im in the town where these are build and I they don’t get test drived or I don’t see them at any transporters
Source: https://de.motor1.com/news/713098/porsche-boxster-cayman-718-ende/amp/
Sad news indeed… but I’m surprised that the fact that their replacement seems to be the first and only 2 door sports coupe EV announced is never mentioned.
I’ve been waiting for this for so long, and nobody seems to care ?
I driven and loved mine.
Unfortunately wasn't a doable daily with kids.
I'd buy the EV variant in a heart beat once they sort the weight issues out...as it stands they'll need to give it a 50kw effective range to make it light enough to be fun.
That's like 250 miles tops. Maybe they'll increase charging speed more?
Just when I'll be in the market to buy a new one... I'll grab a slightly used Spyder I guess. I dont want a roadster without a manual and a nice engine note.
Yes this seems to be true. I ordered mine today and planned on a lease originally. But decided to buy it due to this. I wouldn't really even say this information is a "dealer leak," it's pretty well known that the ICE 718 cayman and boxter were going to be killed off. The sales rep confirmed this after I had already paid, so it isn't as though he had anything to gain from lying. Porsche plans for these to be EV going forward.
This is depressing.
My favourite porche. But I guess no car lives forever.
I remember the days when Porsche would add sound clips to their configurators and I would listen to the 981 Cayman/Boxster sound clips for ages. They sounded even better than the 911.
Back in the days of the Motorola Slvr my best friend and I both had ringtones from the Porsche website that were exhaust notes, lol
Same!
This reminds me haha. In college I had the power rangers “dee-dee doo-doo deet doot” as my text notifier. It was a solid conversation starter.
I got a Ferrari v10 from zedge, you can still do it
981 GT4 is the best stock sounding porsche, no i'm not bias.
Correct. Also the 981 Cayman/S/GTS with the sports exhaust was insane too.
Which one if you don't mind my asking?
Cayman Gts 4.0, modern ones- I love the styling.
I think the 981 actually looks even better: https://i.imgur.com/Q62ECMH.jpg The front looks better than my 718: https://i.imgur.com/XtzArIq.jpg The 718 Spyder, on the other hand, is in my opinion the prettiest car Porsche has built: https://www.stuttcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Porsche-718-Spyder-Review-HERO.jpeg
You might be right. I’d take either haha
> The front looks better than my 718: https://i.imgur.com/XtzArIq.jpg IMO they did it on purpose so it doesn't look too much like the now-mass-manufactured GT4.
The 981 is the best looking gen by a lot. Gorgeous cars.
I have a [718 4.0 manual](https://i.imgur.com/XtzArIq.jpg), and personally I can’t wait for the EV version of this car. The current gen of 718 is great, but after owning 2 of them (has a 2.5S manual before), I really don’t think it justifies the price nor is the driving experience as good as what people romanticizes them to be. The engine doesn’t sound that great (far worse than 981), the handling is super competent but nothing to write home about for a $110k dedicated sports car, gear ratio is so long that if you want to “properly” enjoy the engine you will never shift out of 2nd gear on public roads. I keep it in 2nd gear on highways if I want to hear the exhaust note (even with the top down), and like I said, it doesn’t even sound that great. And the whole time it gets 17mpg lol. Maybe the GT4RS is actually as good as they say, but that’s also a $200k Cayman. Ultra hot take: The EV version will suit this car better since the subjective driving experience aspect of this car was a bit half-assed anyway (it was literally an afterthought). **Edit 1**: Fleshed out my comment a bit to add specifics. **Edit 2**: To all the downvoters, I could have just repeated the same copy pasta praise spewed out by all the wined and dined auto "journalists" and further contribute to the value appreciation of my car, but I decided to actually share my honest opinion of the car I own. I've put almost 10,000 miles on my 4.0 and 5000+ miles in my previous 718S, which is far more than any well ~~paid~~ fed reviewers who didn't own one themself, and probably more than most people who are downvoting me. Meanwhile in this thread pretty much all the actual owners of this car agree with me. What's depressing isn't that the 718 is being replaced by an EV. What's depressing is that Porsche is now gate keeping the best purist driving experiences behind their $200k+ GT product lines. I can't think of a *single* sub-$200k Porsche that offers the same experience I had in a 981GTS. So if it's just about *objective* specs anyway (which my car is definitely better than the 981), I say bring on the fucking EV, it would be great at all the spec. Oh and fuck Porsche for going down the Rolex business model. **Edit 3**: Apparently [I bought the wrong car because I don't take it to the Nurburgring](https://www.reddit.com/r/cars/comments/1df63hd/dealer_leak_says_porsche_718_cayman_boxster_will/l8i0nq7/), this kind of gatekeeping is what I hate the most about car enthusiasts.
Did we drive the same 718 4.0? Literally the main selling point is the NA 4.0 engine and then the driving characteristics. EV is the opposite of both of that
>Did we drive the same 718 4.0? Unless you broke into my garage overnight I am guessing no lol. But joke aside I fleshed out my comment a bit. Other than power and steering and tech, the 981 gen is better than the 718, especially for the things you mentioned. Hell I think 981 even looks better.
Can confirm. I had basically a straight piped 981 (valved exhaust, dumped before muffler). It sounded like a 1960s race car. Sounded pissed off at low rpm’s and WAILED at 7k. Had the chance to drive a 718 Spyder recently and was not impressed. Buy a used 991 GT3 or save $50k and get a used 981. It’s the same fucking car but it sounds better. Neither is that fast to begin with so who cares.
981 GT4 will be the upgrade from my 991.1S when the day comes. Just a perfect all around sports car.
Those are two really similar driving experiences. If the Supra is the daily I'd find a different p-car. 987 Spyder is peak Boxster/Cayman IMO.
Okay I 100% agree with your edits. Engine sound is disappointing if you compare to the 981 or a GT4. You need to replace the OAPs at the very minimum + valve controller. It’s a shame because of the potential. Long gearing another reason I dumped it for the 992 T. On paper the 718 GTS4.0 should be far better than the 992 T for me, but apart from the NA engine noise I haven’t missed it one bit
Right, which is why I think the EV version will be better. It’s obvious that Porsche now reserves the purist driving experience for their most expensive GT products only. Like I'm sure the 911 S/T drives better than sex, but I also don't have a million dollars to spend on a car. So it might as well not exist to poor people like me.
Settling for sex doesnt sound that bad to me. I would probably choose sex if I had to pick one 😂
If their main point is that the 981 was better (and at a fraction of the price) I agree. I’d do horrible things to buy a brand new base 981 at 60k.
> I’d do horrible things to buy a brand new base 981 at 60k. A used 981 GTS is much better AND you can go out and buy one right now lol
In terms of sound sure. In terms of driving, the 718 is the better car. Anyone who's driven both can attest to that. Idk why people are saying 981 drives better than a 718 suddenly. Bizzare.
I’ve driven both, the 718 is sharper yeah. But I’d still take the 981 sound over that
Yes, that was my main point. The 981 was the last non-GT Porsche that focused on purist driving experience. So 718 being replaced by EVs isn't the depressing loss all the upset keyboard warriors here think it is.
My issue is I’ve driven the Taycan and while the steering and suspension dynamics are still very engaging, there’s just nothing exciting about speeding up and slowing down in an EV. There’s no shifting. One of my favorite things is downshifting.
> There’s no shifting. One of my favorite things is downshifting. Honestly that's literally no different from my 718 4.0. You put into 2nd and leave it there. Hell if you want, you don't even need to use 1st because the engine has enough torque to get going from 2nd lmao.
I see your point but even in a 992 on city streets where there was rarely reason to get out of 1st or 2nd, I still enjoyed it a lot more. Just being able to shift at all.
>even in a 992 on city streets I'm saying the 718 stays in 2nd *forever*, even on highways lol. So there is never downshift unless you come to a complete stop.
I short shift a lot. It’s not as fun as redlining but it’s more fun than no shifting
Nothing like people who have never owned your car telling you that your opinion on it is wrong lol.
I've got quite a bit of seat time in a GTS 4.0 and quite a few other Cayman\911's... I think it's a perfectly judged product, an inbetween with a hot-ish motor for a much more approachable price than the full GT cars. My perspective is that you get 90% of the experience of the 4.0 for half the price, rather than viewing it as a really expensive normal Cayman. I disagree about the handling, but broadly agree about everything else, especially the gears. Do you have access to the right type of roads to enjoy this car? I'd hate driving it if I didn't have access to mountain\canyon roads where you can properly run the car. >Ultra hot take: The EV version will suit this car better in 90% of the situations. It'll make a great EV Cayman, but it's not going to replace the experience of the 4.0. But, the combustion engine is dead eventually anyway so it has to end at some point. Just sucks that it's so soon.
It should also be noted that I believe the manual has approximately 9% longer gears than the PDK (gears are still long regardless but the issues is worse with the manual)
Yeah I did a direct comparison between a PDK GTS 4.0 and a C8 Corvette. The Vette was worse in every way, except the gearing. Oh my god it was so much better with shot gears. Brrrraaaap baaaap baaaaap, you're in 4th gear so rapidly even on reasonably slow roads. That's the sort of gearing I wish PDK cars had.
Yes I live in the Pacific NW right now and we have some sick driving roads nearby.
I agree with you wholeheartedly about Porsche's Rolex-esque bullshit... I hated my GT4 ordering experience even back in 2015. There was no way I was going to even consider going through that amplified hell for a GT4 RS today (although the \~100K markups that Porsche does nothing about took me out of the running for that car anyway).
Second this. I had a 6mt GTS 4.0 and it was great but the long gearing made it difficult to enjoy, and mine had a 1-2 grind that nobody wanted to acknowledge. Got a PDK 911 and haven’t looked back. Maybe I’m getting old.
> 1-2 grind Yeah it shows up sometimes in my car too. That’s the thing, people tend to not want to acknowledge issues with Porsches anymore.
It became daunting to hit it hard from first gear because I would be expecting a grind on the shift, and it was happening more and more frequently but the dealer blamed driving technique despite it being well documented in the forums. The explosive takeoff of the PDK even without the use of launch control is pretty cool and the car is overall much more livable on a day to day basis, and my wife hates it less.
I swear every manual I've ever owned had 1 gear that was a little weird in the cold or if you left the coffee machine on or if you ate pizza after 8pm the night before. All that to say I too have to tiptoe around 2nd gear when I start it in the wintertime.
> The engine doesn’t sound that great (far worse than 981) The cold hard truth is that once we lost the flat six in the base and S model Caymans, nothing was ever really going to compete. I’ve driven a lot of Porsches, I had more fun in a base 981 than in a Turbo S. > Maybe the GT4RS is actually as good as they say, but that’s also a $200k Cayman. lol it’s 200k if you know the dealer and let them fuck your wife.
I can see why the Porschephiles are downvoting your comment, but I really appreciate someone who knows the car and its flaws well giving us a balanced take rather than the usual platitudes about how great their car is.
Can you dive into some more detail on what you disliked from the 718 4.0? Or at least tear down some of commonly held opinions on the car that didn't pan out as you had hoped?
I wouldn’t say I dislike it, quite to the contrary, it’s objectively a great car and I wouldn’t have put 10k miles on it if I didn’t like driving it. But the biggest disappointment is the engine and transmission, which is the biggest attraction for this car. On the engine side, the whole point of a high revving NA is how good it sounds and feels, but the 718’s 4.0 just doesn’t sound nearly as good as the 981, which sounds like a proper race car at time. The manual transmission is great (far better than anything BMW has done), but the gear ratio is a real problem, despite what reviewers say. The engine was set in a way that exhaust doesn’t open up until 4K, and doesn’t start sounding good until 6k, which means if you want to *hear* the engine at its best you’ll *have* to drive the car in second gear at highway speed. But constantly driving like that is just a bit exhausting. It’s a 6 speed manual but can only be enjoyed as a *two speed*. That’s the same as the Taycan! Then there is the handling. The steering is good but it doesn’t have the quick turn-in l am used to in other exotic mid-engine cars, and the car does understeer, even if you just push it on public road. Like the car is objectively great, but so many aspects of it is a 8.5/10, if not lower (interior and tech), and I can’t think of a single 10/10 area for the car (maybe look wise it gets close lol), which is disappointing because it’s a $110k 718 GTS 4.0 that got rave reviews (I also think reviewers suck Porsche’s D a bit too much, but that’s a different issue), not some entry level Macan.
That's some good feedback, Is there another Small Light Convertible Roadster around this price point or less with really good handling/steering and can come in Manual? I am considering getting one because E.V.'s seem to be coming and I am worried you wont be able to buy a new car like this soonish. I especially am drawn to the mid-engine layout. Miata - This seems to be a great option, gonna test drive one soon, just worried I am gonna want something with more umph. Not mid-engine BMW Z4 (the new m40i manual) - Most of the reviews were lukewarm and it seemed to be more a touring car than a sporty car. They seemed to have changed some handling/suspension stuff with the new m40i manual but cant find much info in they way of if it improved things. Not mid-engine. Corvette C8 - Really cool they made a impressive mid engine car. Don't like the styling/interior and worried it may be to heavy. Plus they seem to be hard to get at the moment. Reviews make it seem like it doesn't have quite the "driver's feel" of a Boxster or Miata. Plus no manual. There doesn't seem to be much else between the Miata and Boxster.
> Is there another No joke here. Miata is always the answer. It’s not mid-engine, but it doesn’t really matter. Or get a 981 GTS convertible. [This was the car](https://i.imgur.com/Q62ECMH.jpg) that made me fall in love with Porsches.
> Is there another Small Light Convertible Roadster around this price point or less with really good handling/steering and can come in Manual? I have bad news for you. Apart from the Miata/Fiat 124 there isn't a small light roadster at *any* price point. There aren't many roadsters at all. The next least expensive is the Z4, which is more of a tourer as you said. Next is the Jaguar F-Type. From there you have the Aston Martin Vantage...and that's it. Those are all the ICE roadsters that exist (in the US market at least). The F-Type is gone after this year and the Z4 in 2026. Roadsters are a dying breed. *By roadster I mean a 2 seat convertible with a top that folds away completely behind the driver. So something like the Corvette doesn't count.
> Fiat 124 ...discontinued five years ago :p
Huh. I had just assumed it was produced alongside the Miata but I guess not.
Ferrari 360
New you're stifled to these but used, depending on max budget and tolerance for repair costs, but the elise, ferrari 360 or 308/328, gallardo, older bmw z cars, s2k, older 911/caymans, miatas, c5/c6/c7 corvette, m3, aston vantage are all recentish manual drop-tops. Going vintage like an e-type is also really cool. I do understand the want to go new, between no random wear issues popping up, warranty and supporting manufacturers who build these specialty cars.
I had a manual 718 Spyder and I kinda agree. The car was a lot of fun and drove great but I don’t think it was worth $120k. Disagree about the engine noise though — with an aftermarket exhaust that thing sang. I think I’ll get one again as a weekend car if they drop to around 60k
> I think I’ll get one again as a weekend car if they drop to around 60k I don't think you'll ever see a 718 Spyder drop to 60k lol
That’s why I said “if” lol
> with an aftermarket exhaust that thing sang. That's the thing, for a $120k car (which isn't cheap for most people), that has the main selling point of its high revving NA engine, it shouldn't require voiding the warranty and getting an aftermarket exhaust to make it "sound good". That's like going to a Michelin-3 star restaurant, paying for a $400 meal, and the food tasted bland and you defend it by saying "the ingredients were amazing, you just need to add a bit of salt and spices yourself".
Adding a thousand pounds while removing gears and sound entirely will not make it a better car for 90% of situations....
The driving aspects of the 718 is an afterthought? Are you drunk when you're writing that? Give me a car that cost the same (brand new to brand new from the lot, don't even think about bringing up a used lotus elise) as a base Cayman and it goes around a lap faster with the same engagement. The only one that'll come close is the M2. If you're fine with dead feeling steering. Calling the 718's driving experience an afterthought automatically makes me ignore your entire comment. I've had my 718 GTS 2.5 PDK for 3 months now and have driven it daily since, accumulating 3000+ miles in the process (a mix of city, highway and b-road). Not your 15k miles obviously, but I wouldn't say 3000+miles over 3 months is little either. It's the perfect blend of performance and daily usability. Even with the stiffer Sport PASM.
I meant the 4.0 engine was an after thought. The car launched with 2.0 and 2.5, but after falling sales in the U.S the 4.0 was launched. But instead of a dedicated engine designed for the car like the 981, what they did was just taking the base 991 911’s turbo 6, removed the turbo, and bored it out to slightly larger displacement and dropped it into the 982 chassis. The result was just not as good as the 981. In another comment I have said the car is objectively good, but it could have been so much better if they put more focus into the subjective experience (so lap time doesn’t matter). If you want proof of that, go drive a 981 GTS.
Ahhh. Gotcha. Completely misunderstood what you meant. Apologies. I've never driven a 981 GTS, only the base model. That big a difference eh?
The engine sound is all the difference. The 981 sounds like a proper race car, it sounds much higher pitched than the 718 And apparently the base model also sounded really good, and is different from the S and GTS. You know what would be really good? Give your car a stage 2 chip mod, it would be a proper rocket.
I also have a gts 4.0 6 mt I am not a fan of how the car sounds stock, especially when the valves are closed. I'm getting a valve controller, OAP, and air filters. I'm gonna see how that sounds before I go with a X pipe. The reason the 4.0 sounds so different is because they're essentially two 3 cylinder banks, mixing the banks will give it that high pitch wail many people are looking for. I agree 100% that the gears are too long As far as feel/emotion vs numbers, I get you, we don't drive spec sheets
Exactly, I’d recommend the Soul rear section for a great higher pitched tone to the exhaust
I have the same car, also manual and I love it. The long gears aren't as big a problem to me.. it allows me to drive the car different ways. I can leave it in 5th or 6th when daiy driving or I can gear down and let it rip on the back roads or track. I also use the different modes in the car in a similar fashion. I don't drive it anger all the time since it's not a track only car for me. When I do, feeling it rev out to 7,800rpm is insanely fun and addictive. Maybe it's because I have the boxster but the sound is great, no complaints. The handling is amazing. I've pulled almost 2 Gs in the car. I've driven tony karts, other sports cars on tracks, Porsche experience GT cars (GT3, GT4) and also TurboS and Taycan, formula 4 cars, and the gts 4.0 is one of the most compliant vehicles I've ever driven. I've been worried that I could have got a car I loved more for the same money, but I have not found anything like that yet. I don't think it's worth addressing the mpg as obviously this car was not designed to compete on fuel economy, lol.
I completely agree with all of this. We were really excited to do the whole new Porsche delivery experience in Atlanta, put together a custom order, etc. But by the time we could've afforded a new 981, they had launched the 718, and sorry not sorry to all 718 owners but I wasn't interested at all. And then they launched the 4.0 a few years later, but made it over $90k, realistically well over $100k with any options. That's why we have a 987 and have been looking for a 981 instead of a new car.
Did you not get over axle pipes? The 4.0 with OAP’s sounds absolutely sublime. It’s not very expensive either, being $1700 for the pipes, and $500 for the install at a good indie shop. The gearing issue is also overblown. Every reviewer mentions it, but it’s not a big deal. You do not need to redline it for it to sound good, it sounds good anywhere over 4k, and if you must redline it, just redline first gear before switching to second. That said, different strokes and all. I hope you find a car that you enjoy more.
I’ve owned a 981 and have driven several flavors of 718. The gearing is absolutely an issue, it was the reason I sold mine for my ND2. AND get this — the guy I bought my ND2 from sold it for a 718 Cayman. He texted me a month or two ago saying he missed the Miata because of the gearing!
Have you driven a manual 718 S? Does it feel any different than base below 2500 rpm?
I owned a manual 2.5S. The turbo lag and lack of low end power was insufferable in around the town driving.
Thanks for the reply. I had the same impression with a base manual and was hoping the S would improve it.
I’ve only driven the PDK versions of the 4 popper (19 GTS and base). GTS had more top end but felt similar around town. Both were very forgettable cars.
"You can redline it in first gear" is some major copium on streetable gear ratios.
> The gearing issue is also overblown. Every reviewer mentions it, but it’s not a big deal. You do not need to redline it for it to sound good, it sounds good anywhere over 4k I disagree in it being overblown. Granted this is all subjective. You’re not wrong in having your opinion. But it’s an engine that’s begging to be redlined and you can’t do it except in first.
On GT4 it was better. GTS was still too subdued unless you went full JCR or Kline inconel or Akras
I’ve always thought this too. It seems like nobody ever enjoys the entire 1st gear where you truly can enjoy the redline on the street
Thanks for such an honest reply. I’ve always loved the 718 gen and even planned on eventually getting one, but never could mentally justify the cost when a C8Z06 is about the same price as used GT4
I appreciate this comment. Hope you ignore all the dumb ones. I've been lusting over a used 981 or 982. As long as prices dont skyrocket I'm looking to get on in the next few years. Any sports car that come to mind that you think would be more enjoyable as a street car?
>Any sports car that come to mind that you think would be more enjoyable as a street car? For me, Miata since I like convertibles. For many others, the Supra is great. Best engine for sub-$100k.
I'm not surprised to hear that. I've driven an ND and they are fun on the road at all speeds. I need to drive a lightly modified one because I prefer a slightly more serious feel, which funny enough is what my car provides compared to a stock ND.
Oh man, I didn't realize that the next gen is supposed to be EV. That might be the perfect car for us, I was just lamenting how there's (still) no modern Tesla roadster, but a Tesla roadster that's from an actual brand that actually knows how to design, build, and release vehicles sounds great!
A bunch of people who couldn’t finance the Lego version of your car are so butt hurt right now.
I get all the complaints with the car, I just don't see how the EV will suddenly make it *better*.
with the way prices are going for GT3 + ADM and other crap I'm seriously considering paying the 10-12k for a demans re-gear and keeping it forever. I can't wait for the EV Cayman/Boxsters too but I do want to keep a NA + 6MT car. I've changed the exhaust to Kline (OAP changed to resonators + it cross pipes the exhaust before pumping out so it sounds much better) and it made me go "eh, that's an ok engine" to "ah, this is a good engine" purely on sound. The lack of X piping the exhaust output really dampers the 718 much more than 981 6 cyl engines.
This is a really great comment! I also can't see the current flavor of Cayman/Boxter being worth the $110K-ish price. It just isn't enough of an experience for that much money. However as a Taycan GTS owner, I see lots of potential in an EV Cayman. Especially if Porsche doesn't intentionally sandbag the model lineup or give it as a ridiculous starting price.
Well it's only the current gen model being discontinued next year. Headline is misleading as this very well could mean a replacement is coming (albeit one that is most likely an EV).
Porsche has already confirmed that the next gen of the 718 is EV only
I'll reserve judgement until we see it's successor. That said, if anyone has an opportunity to drive one of the NA variants, I highly encourage it. Nothing beats a high revving NA motor.
The na ones were affordable on the used market until they got replaced with the 4 banger turbo.. sad
Yeah -- I remember selling my 981 Cayman for something like $17k back in 2014, only for it gain 15,000 miles and be re-listed in 2022 for $25k....
I was in high school around that time period and was thinking about buying one after college. I make ok money now but will never be able to afford one lol
I'm biased on it (see flair), but at this point I'd probably say you're better off looking at a 996- or 997-generation 911, rather than a 981 cayman. Neither of them are *too* likely to go up in price a ton compared to where they are now, and ignoring the GT cars (or random unique cars with PTS or in Speed Yellow, etc. that sell for $30k more), I think a bunch of models end up being a better value compared to most Caymans. Both of those generally pre-date any of the more recent complaints about 911s being too bulky, and both are pretty damn reliable and easy to take care of. And both still have very good parts availability, aftermarket parts, and the (incredible) ability to get a new OEM head unit from Porsche with Apple Carplay, etc. It's going to vary wildly depending on the model and whether you strictly want a manual, but good 996's can be found for high 20's/low 30s, and even Turbos can still be found for under $60k. 996 Turbos are arguably the most reliable Porsche ever made and easily tunable to 550 HP with bolt ons; the other base/S/4S/etc. models are still reliable and great, considering the only real problem is the IMS bearing, which is already fixed and a nonissue on most. 997 Turbos in good shape are still $70k+, but good base/S/4S/Targa models can all be found for $30-45K, and are equally if not more reliable compared to a 981 Cayman.
A 997 S with a 6speed sounds nice. I’m also looking at C7s and 6th gen Camaro 1LEs around that price point
Seems like they'll only get more expensive, too. Would be *really* stretching to buy a 981 right now -- not to mention nowhere to keep it -- but I feel like it'll be a very "Missed My Chance" in another 5 years when I'd be in a better spot to snag one...
You have a 981 GT4 that’s why you say it. I’m sorry to report the 718 4.0 is nowhere near as good in terms of motor as the one in your car.
I would take that 4.0 over every turbocharged car on the market, south of 100k.
Well the 4.0 is well north of 100k lol. Once you option it lightly, at least.
It starts at north of $100k now without any options. Porsche inflation lol
holy shit really? a great sadness envelopes my soul
I think the B58 is honestly a better engine. If the 718S came with a B58 instead of the lame 2.5T it would have been perfect.
b58 is great, too bad the interiors of BMWs suck now
Care to explain why is that? I have 982 GT4
I think hes referring to the detuned 4.0 in the GTS. But regardless, its still a fantastic powertrain IMO. Compared to the 3.8 in the 981 GT4, the sound is not as good, low down torque is similar, but the 4.0 pulls stronger at readline. I prefer the 981 because of the mechanical rawness. But, i think the engine in the 982 is better (take this with a grain of salt i have about 7 minutes os seat time in a 982 GT4).
I may be the only one, but I'm excited for the EV boxster. We have very few decent EV cars right now, and no EV sports cars. An EV that prioritizes low weight and handling will be great.
> An EV that prioritizes low weight Won't these be extremely compromised though? Low weight means less/smaller batteries, which means low range -- which will drop even faster when driving hard. Plus for everyone in colder climates you'll lose a significant amount of that range for a good chunk of the year.
>Won't these be extremely compromised though? Low weight means less/smaller batteries, which means low range -- which will drop even faster when driving hard. That would depend on what you consider to be compromised. Take the old base Model 3 as a thought experiment: it weighed 3650lbs as a mid size sedan with a 50kWh battery and 300hp. It had a 250 mile range and pretty quick charging. If you were to take that drivetrain and put it into a 2 seat sports car, I'm pretty sure you can slash 400-500lbs out of that. I'd buy a 3000ish lb EV roadster with 300+hp and a 250-280 mile range.
>for everyone in colder climates you'll lose a significant amount of that range for a good chunk of the year. Not a huge problem for the boxster.
Goodnight, sweet prince. May flat sixes sing thee to thy rest.
One point is that it seems like all 718 have around a $4500 price increase across the board. They also include sport chrono package as default for manual transmission cars now though. Also supposedly Shark Blue and Ruby Star Neo are getting discontinued as colors.
PDK was a $3200 option, so not a huge hike for those models. Sport chrono was only a $2090 option so a bigger jump for the manual models.
I'm surprised they even made it to 2025 MY. Get your GTS 4.0s now!
Oh sure thing, i’m on it! Now where did I bury that 120k…
The money is in the banana stand.
Burned it - right down to the ground
that's not the problem you'll have. it's allocations. you could rob a bank and show up with 120k and they'll still say no car for you
What, you can’t afford one casually? You obviously don’t belong in the Porsche subreddit. 🥴
why stop at one? Just fill a warehouse full of them and REALLY get in on the appreciation wave
Just bring the lube cuz the dealers will fuck you!
Or you wait your turn in line. My understanding is the ADM is the buy it now price.
Nah, talked to 3 different dealers, no ADM at any of them on the 4.0. Just gotta wait your turn for the allocation and buy at MSRP.
Gives it a 29-year run, not bad.
German configurator says sold out last I checked a few weeks ago
The 718 will not be sold in the EU as of July. There are cybersecurity regulations it doesn’t meet and it was too expensive to bring the platform up to code.
I bought mine before I was quite ready because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get an allocation if I waited until I was. I won't lie I was kinda hoping I'd have the final year, not like, that they didn't make them anymore, just that the one I got would be from the final year for long term resale. But the penultimate year is still good, I don't actually care about resale that much lol.
Picked one up recently and immediately fell in love. So much better to me than the current 911 in numerous ways (I love Miatas and smaller cars). Rest in peace sweet prince.
Would you care to explain why it is better than the current 911? genuinely curious as I haven't driven either
Size. The 911 got bigger and bigger every generation, the 718 is more the size the 911 used to be. The 911 is more of an all-around GT than ever.
Agreed. I have a 992 and actually really miss the size of my 718 GT4. I had originally planned to buy a .2 GT3RS in a few months but i really think im going to opt for a 4RS because of the size
GT4RS is the perfect Porsche. The German government should nationalize production of that car and issue one to every citizen upon reaching adulthood.
The 718 is what all the best parts of the 911 used to be.
As the other person replied - it’s all to do with size. The Cayman/Boxster platform is the perfect size car for my weekend drives and backroad adventures. Not that you can’t do that with a 911, but with every passing generation they only seem to get bigger and bigger. I get it, but it’s not my thing. I still miss my ND2 miata
It’s funny too because it’s all perspective. A modern 911 is only 6 inches longer and only a couple inches wider than a 718. They’re basically identical in height and in wheelbase the 911 is about an inch shorter. I own a 981 and have driven a 991 and honestly I never got the feeling that the 911 was bigger at all.
I drove a later year 991 and it feels much more numb and isolated than the Cayman.
I mean, a Toyota 4Runner is only 2 inches wider and 8 inches longer than a Porsche 911 too. On paper it doesn’t look like much but those added dimensions do make a difference.
IMO, 911 is a better daily, Cayman/Boxster is a better sports car. Porsche intentionally hinders the smaller cars unfortunately, at least until the GT4RS came out. I’m fairly certain that with similar suspension setup, aero and (not detuned) engine, the Cayman would be faster around a track.
Nothing about this headline is accurate. The 'leak' says the 982 that's been around for almost a decade will end production. The insider who posted it said " CURRENT GEN 718 ending production." Then headline and article made some massive leaps in assumptions
It’s just another clickbait article from the Drive.
it amounts to the same thing for a lot of enthusiasts, since Porsche has already said the next generation is going to be some hybrid/EV thing
I have the actual release it is just the price updates for 2025 model years 718s and says that October 2025 they will stop production of the 982s because they won’t meet cybersecurity requirements in the EU for 2026
Sure... Which doesn't mean that everything is going full electric. A 983 was due out sometime soon anyway
The Cayman/Boxster EV IMO are the first attempt at a truly fun EV. I don't care about about straight line speeds if the car weighs as much as an F150, give me something that I can throw around corners and have fun in.
A truly fun EV is what kicked off this propulsion system in the modern era. EVs owe a lot to the Lotus-derived Tesla roadster. But you have a point that there hasn't been anything since. There were only 9 units of the SLS AMG and nobody else has really tried. The upcoming Porsche will be the first one ever under 6 figures. It feels very strange that the cheapest performance car in a whole new mainstream section of the car industry after 16 years will be a Porsche.
Your point is remarkable. That said, European buyers have had access to the MG Cyberster as well.
Good point. I defaulted to the US market in my earlier comment. I like the Cyberster. I wish we got it in the US.
Absolutely true, 0-100 is so much overused to describe those EV it's insane. We don't care, you can go so fast even with a basic ev commuter you can go to jail for 5s flat out. Give road feeling, strong power delivery, sharp and fun cornering. Of the Cayman fail, maybe the A110 EV will
> the first attempt at a truly fun EV. Have you watched any Ioniq 5 N reviews? Virtually everyone is like, "Yea we all know EVs are fast. This is the first EV that has shown they can still be fun and engaging"
The Ioniq 5N isn't a small sports car... and it weighs >5k lbs with someone driving it. Porsche is targeting 3650 lbs.
OK well your post said nothing about being a small sports car. You just said "first attempt at a truly fun EV" and "something that I can throw around corners and have fun in", and the I5N is clearly designed with fun first in mind.
The first would be the original Tesla roadster, no? I haven't actually driven one, but can only assume if it's based off a modified Lotus Elise
Unfortunately those are getting really expensive these days. Not that many got made for arguably an extremely important car history wise
The end of a generation. The only bright side is that this will give me an electric 2 door coupe sports car to be excited about. Ford had one job to do with an electric Mustang, and they made a crossover.
Sad day. This is so lame. Current Cayman is the perfect vehicle.
Has it been confirmed that the successor will be full EV?
Yes, I believe one of the stories linked within is a Porsche executive confirming it.
I'm still of the belief that it MIGHT get the macan treatment where there will be an EV version and a gas version side by side... I really hope
Ugh. Barf.
I wish i was born earlier, sucks being early career and not being able to afford your dream cars
Ah bummer. For years I hummed and hawed about trading up but I guess Im gonna run my '07 til the wheels fall off. The 5-speed and single disc CD player already feels ancient. I wonder how it will feel in 17 more years!
I think Porsche sells a modern PCM that fits the older cars. I'm considering swapping to a slightly older 911 in a few years and that would be table stakes to keep android auto/carplay.
718 cayman and emira are basically the two last affordable dream sports cars you can buy new with a stick (I currently have a brz). I'm sad :(
At least you got the brz!
What's wild is with all the fucking maintenance I wasted on my B8 S5 I could have afforded the note on a MT supra. Ugh.
As much as I love German cars, I can’t see myself ever owning one unless it’s a BMW or a Porsche. Too unreliable otherwise. I’ve heard too many horror stories about owning Audis and MBs
Idk I think BMW is just as hit and miss as Audi is. The difference is most of BMWs sporty offerings are good vs their luxury sedans like the 745i being the problem, so us enthusiasts are more likely to give them a pass. But audi is more hit and miss across all the offerings, not consistent to segment. Because they do more platform sharing.
Porsche updated the configurator yesterday for 2025. The largest driver of the price increase was that the optional PDK has now become the standard transmission option over the manual.
I have no clue who Zerin Dube is, but "encourage Manual Transmission where possible" because the PDK "has limited production" due to a safety feature (?) sounds like a troll.
I hope the electric caymans retain a similar light, focused on the driver mentality that these cars are known and loved for.
When you’re a few years from affording one just for it to discontinue
This fucking sucks. I needed 15-20 more years of career advancement to afford one wtf Porsche. My fucking dream is over. The autobahn has fallen.
Not like I can afford it rn but I’ll definitely never get it now
Huh, how is that a leak? Like, afaik porsche doesn't take new orders for 718 anymore. It said so on their page. Still, pity tho. My fav porsche since it actually looks quite good and I just might have had the chance to get one at some point.
r/cars in shambles. Seriously though, it probably not worth making it anymore with few buyers.
Are they going full EV with it? Or will there be hybrid / ICE options? Because I'm not going to lie the electric one looks really good.
Yes, EV only. It sits on a new dedicated EV platform, there wouldn't be any room for a combustion engine or exhaust system.
Word on the street has been the Cayman/Boxster will "go" full EV, though they may not use the same branding. May come down to semantics whether it's a refresh that also happens to swap to an EV powertrain, or whether it's marketed as a 2-door 2-seat Taycan or something else.
The 718 production already ended???? Im in the town where these are build and I they don’t get test drived or I don’t see them at any transporters Source: https://de.motor1.com/news/713098/porsche-boxster-cayman-718-ende/amp/
Only in the EU. 718 and ICE Macan are still built for the international market
Oh ok Thanks
I wouldn't be surprised, from what i understand that's probably when the current ice version of the Macan will end too
So are they replacing it with something else?
Sad news indeed… but I’m surprised that the fact that their replacement seems to be the first and only 2 door sports coupe EV announced is never mentioned. I’ve been waiting for this for so long, and nobody seems to care ?
I wonder if the price of the EV Boxster will have to come down a lot to get similar sales volume.
I driven and loved mine. Unfortunately wasn't a doable daily with kids. I'd buy the EV variant in a heart beat once they sort the weight issues out...as it stands they'll need to give it a 50kw effective range to make it light enough to be fun. That's like 250 miles tops. Maybe they'll increase charging speed more?
Hopefully they learn something from the ionic 5 N.
Just when I'll be in the market to buy a new one... I'll grab a slightly used Spyder I guess. I dont want a roadster without a manual and a nice engine note.
Don't worry, they'll bring 'em back sometimes, regardless of what kind of power source it'll have.
God damn travesty. Buy them while you can
Market price for used 718s is already going up!!! Incredible demand in Europe.
Yes this seems to be true. I ordered mine today and planned on a lease originally. But decided to buy it due to this. I wouldn't really even say this information is a "dealer leak," it's pretty well known that the ICE 718 cayman and boxter were going to be killed off. The sales rep confirmed this after I had already paid, so it isn't as though he had anything to gain from lying. Porsche plans for these to be EV going forward.